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learning to be a follower of jesus is more caught, than taught.
teaching lessons about discipleship and following and surrender are probably necessary. but what kids really need is for people to show them how to be disciples…to show them what following looks like…to model for them what a lifestyle of surrender looks like.
over the years, i’ve seen some kids thrive in their faith and show spiritual maturity beyond their years. a common denominator between those kids is almost always an older person who consistently and faithfully shared life with them. a person who invested in the relationship and got close enough to be imitated.
on the other hand, i’ve seen my fair share of kids whose spiritual lives were shipwrecked…and often, those kids had to endure inconsistent, immature examples of discipleship…or, worse yet, no examples at all.
during adolescence, kids pull away from their parents. its natural. its normal. its expected. and it doesn’t have to be a bad thing. good parents raise their kids to be independent. good parents widen the protective fence as their kids get older. even if parents don’t intentionally do these things, normal kids will begin to separate anyway.
that’s why kids need people to step into their lives. good people. godly people. people who are acquainted with a life of faith and following jesus. so they can pass it on to these kids.
we had a great night at middle school bible study this evening. when we get a new youth minister, it’s going to be hard to keep from asking him (or her) to let me keep doing the bible study at my house. i look forward to being with these kids. i love the conversation. i love their questions. i love watching the light bulb go on. i love playing with them. i love teaching our young adults how to make an impact.
how about you? is there something inside you that makes you want to pass on your love for jesus to a kid?
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